This invention generally relates to hanging devices. Specifically, it pertains to a hanger for purses and includes an extendible shelf.
A purse or other type of personal bag is an important useful accessory for many people. A purse frequently holds many items of a personal nature, including a wallet, identification, grooming products, or even medicine. For thousands of years, the purse has also been a fashion accessory, and most purses today are made to complement the style of the wearer. As such, purses not only contain valuable goods, but are frequently very valuable themselves. Indeed a designer brand purse can cost thousands of dollars. A purse placed on the floor or on the back of a chair is easily stolen or soiled. For these reasons, purse wearers are hesitant to place a purse on the floor or on the back of a chair when seated at a bar or a table.
Over eighty years ago, a device known as a purse hanger or purse hook, was developed that allows a purse owner to hang the purse from some types of tables. Purse hangers, at their most basic, consist of a double headed and frequently “S” shaped hook. One head of the hook engages the table and swings over the side of the table. The second head of the hook allows the purse to hang down from just below the underside of the table. Recently, many purse hangers available on the market have included fashionable designs and even jewelry to make them look more attractive. Additionally, because tables come in many shapes and sizes, some purse hangers have even incorporated adjustable parts to compensate for the various thicknesses of the tables.
One such purse hanger that is fashionable and adjustable is disclosed by United States Published Patent Application Number 2005/0161570, filed by Bauerly. Bauerly shows a flat table engaging member and an adjustable table hook. However, neither Bauerly nor any other purse hanger created prior to the present invention has been designed to compensate for a table of any thickness, including a table with no lip at all or substantially flat sides. Moreover, none of the prior purse hangers includes its own extendible shelf that allows the user to hold a book, notebook, or other small item that cannot be held by a standard purse hanger. Furthermore, the prior purse hangers do not allow a purse to hang down from the top hook, as opposed to hanging the purse from the bottom hook, so the purse does not touch the floor if the table or chair seat is low to the ground.
Thus, there is a long felt need in the art for a purse hanger that is designed to be used for tables and other essentially flat surfaces with various thicknesses and includes an extendible shelf or rack.